WI Johnny Cash stuck with gospel?

Another one from Ken Burns' "Country Music"...

After his brother Jack's death, Cash said he wanted to become a gospel singer. When he tried to audition for Sam Phillips at Sun, Phillips said he couldn't sell gospel

WI Cash had gone somewhere else? Say, to Nashville instead of Memphis? Or not to Sun?

It's likely this means none of Cash's famous country songs are recorded, like "Ring of Fire" or "Jackson" or "Boy Named Sue". (Nor his cover of "Solitary Man", which makes the second-to-last episode of "Stargate Atlantis" pretty different.) Neither would he meet June Carter, probably.

How big is the impact on country music? On gospel?
 
WI Cash had gone somewhere else? Say, to Nashville instead of Memphis? Or not to Sun?

It's likely this means none of Cash's famous country songs are recorded, like "Ring of Fire" or "Jackson" or "Boy Named Sue".

June wrote and recorded _Ring of Fire_ but it wasn't successful, til Johnny redid it.

Gospel didn't sell anywhere in the early '60s, and he was looking to make money, so that means Country or Rock.

Or for a short time in that era, Tiki Music.

That's a Genre change for you. Johnny goes West.
 
June wrote and recorded _Ring of Fire_ but it wasn't successful, til Johnny redid it.
If he didn't, it isn't successful (or so much), which was kinda the point.
Gospel didn't sell anywhere in the early '60s
And that, I suppose, is the key question: would he work a day job to keep doing gospel, or give up gospel? (Which also makes me wonder: if gospel didn't sell, how was Aretha making a living? Rock? Or something else?)

It looks like his career could be severely crimped just by not meeting Grant & Perkins...
 
If he didn't, it isn't successful (or so much), which was kinda the point.
That's the thing with Country, a lot more remakes than Rock&Roll

And that, I suppose, is the key question: would he work a day job to keep doing gospel, or give up gospel? (Which also makes me wonder: if gospel didn't sell, how was Aretha making a living? Rock? Or something else?)

Gospel would make some money, of course, but not 'Buy me a house for my Family' kind of Money Cash got going Country.

She was doing well for the Gospel Circuit, but she noticed how much better things went for Sam Cooke after he jumped over to pop and what would soon be called Soul in the late '50s. That's why she went with Columbia Records
 
That's the thing with Country, a lot more remakes than Rock&Roll
Not really on-point, even if true.
Gospel would make some money, of course, but not 'Buy me a house for my Family' kind of Money Cash got going Country.
Okay, it's very unlikely.

Handwave it: he walks into a church, the light shines on him, & he says, "I'm on a mission from God." (without the mayhem following:openedeyewink: ).

What doesn't happen in C/W that did with Cash aboard? It looks like Merle Haggard wouldn't end up a C/W singer, without Cash's live performance at Q, just for a start.
 
Top